PA homeschoolers?

[lmkzbcb]

Dh is considering a job relocation to PA.

What is it like homeschooling in PA?

Where in Schuylkill County would you recommend living?

What agencies would you recommend for relocating? Renting?

What places would be field trips not to miss?

What outdoor activities are available?

Any advice/suggestions for what to look for in a house in that climate?

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated very much.

[mmasmommy]

Dh is considering a job relocation to PA.

What is it like homeschooling in PA?

Where in Schuylkill County would you recommend living?

What agencies would you recommend for relocating? Renting?

What places would be field trips not to miss?

What outdoor activities are available?

Any advice/suggestions for what to look for in a house in that climate?

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated very much.

 

A great place to start for hsing in PA is askpauline.com. She has some wonderful information and resources. You can also check out the PA Dept. of Ed website's section on home educating. http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/home_education/7404

 

PA is a pretty large state. We are at the southern end of it new MD. One field trip we loved this year was touring the Gettysburg battlefield and taking a guided ranger tour. The kids in our HS group got to reenact Pickett's Charge.

[mommatomany]

We live in Pa but we're in Pittsburgh. This is only our 2nd year homeschooling. Interested to see what others have to say!

[lmkzbcb]

Thanks for the links, the askpauline site was really good.

[lovetobehome]

Sent you a pm....

[Hyzenthlay in Pa.]

Dh is considering a job relocation to PA.

What is it like homeschooling in PA?

 

Lots of paper work, not as bad as it sounds.

 

Where in Schuylkill County would you recommend living?

 

The farm country, not the mining towns.

 

What agencies would you recommend for relocating? Renting?

 

If you are working with an agent to sell a home, ask them to help

you by finding/screening help up here.

 

What places would be field trips not to miss?

 

Too many to mention, pleanty to keep you busy as regular visiting spots, day trips and longer all over the state.

 

What outdoor activities are available?

Hunting, camping, hiking,sking, canoeing, fishing,ice climbing, skating,ice fishing, golf, just about everything.

 

Any advice/suggestions for what to look for in a house in that climate?

 

You will be enjoying 4 seasons here,if you are moving from a warm climate , you may want more indoor space.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated very much.

 

I'm 2 counties away (Monroe), you may pm me for more.

[NanceXToo]

Dh is considering a job relocation to PA.

What is it like homeschooling in PA?

Where in Schuylkill County would you recommend living?

What agencies would you recommend for relocating? Renting?

What places would be field trips not to miss?

What outdoor activities are available?

Any advice/suggestions for what to look for in a house in that climate?

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated very much.

 

I live in Schuylkill County.

 

I second (or third or whatever we're up to) looking on askpauline to find out what homeschooling like- but know that even though it sounds really overwhelming on the surface it isn't really AS bad as it sounds. There's a thread on the parents' networking board started by pqr asking about the Pittsburgh area and what homeschooling in PA is like and I posted a long response there talking about the PA homeschooling law that you might want to check out. It is a bit of a hassle but once you go through the process once you'll be able to go, "Oh, that wasn't too bad" and it'll seem much easier in subsequent years.

 

I can't tell you where I recommend living- I am not familiar with every place in the county for one, and I have on idea of your price range or the type of place you are looking for for another, or if you're looking to rent or buy or what your situation is.

 

I will tell you that I organize a great homeschool group on meetup.com for Schuylkill County and the surrounding areas, so if you move here and find yourself looking for an inclusive homeschool group that doesn't have a focus on religion whatsoever (although some of its members ARE "religious") and that focuses on field trips, educational tours, fun group learning days here and there, informal playdates, seasonal parties, craft days and so on and so forth, look me up. :)

 

We travel anywhere from 30-90 minutes for great field trips and tours depending on where in the county you are, but there ARE lots of fun things to do in that regard.

 

There are amusement parks, state parks/lakes, cave and mine tours, lots of historical houses and buildings and things of that nature that do tours and field trips, science museums if I travel an hour or so, zoos and wildlife parks if I travel an hour or so, Hershey Park, Hershey Museum, Hershey Gardens and Hershey Zoo (most of which have homeschool day programs here and there), if I travel 1 1/2 hours I can go to Lancaster and there are Amish attractions, there are farms that do tours, I can do a riverboat ride if I want to drive like an hour. We've got movies and bowling and mini golf and rollerskating and indoor playplaces and so on locally. There's places to go maple sugaring, Hawk Mountain always has education programs and hiking trails...

 

Things are not as close as they were when I lived on, say, Long Island in NY but we make do and find plenty to keep us occupied with. :)

 

ETA: Here's that thread I was talking about:

 

http://welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=244145

Edited May 4, 2011 by NanceXToo

[jlmom]

I live in Schuylkill County as well. This is our first year homeschooling and our daughter is only 7 so we haven't had to report anything to the state yet. There is a larger network of homeschoolers here than I ever realized. In a city (Pottsville) there doesn't seem to be as many but the smaller towns (Bethel) have a lot of Amish/Mennonite homeschoolers. As a result the Bethel library has a good hs selection even though it is tiny whereas the Pottsville library is much much larger with almost no hs info. Like the others said, pm me if you want more specific info on where we live. I know a couple realtors, too, if you need a recommendation. Good luck!

[lmkzbcb]

Wow! Maybe it won't be as bad as I originally thought. No offense, but when I was looking on city data, most all I could find was negative reports about the area.

Sounds like there will be plenty to keep my kids busy. However, a couple "to do" items mentioned would be new to us. Are there "how to" workshops or guides for ice fishing and ice climbing?

 

When looking at some of the housing, it appears that air conditioning may not be needed?? Several places either stated no a/c or they had a window unit?? That would not fly here at all. I dont think it is the price range, it seemed to be based more on the age of the house. Are the summers that mild?

[mmasmommy]

NO! A/C is a must, at least for me. Summers are normally in the upper 80's - 90's.

[mommaduck]

Very rarely will a rental come with A/C. Your first year or two here, you may only need it for a few weeks (as you are acclimated to warmer climates and it will feel cool here. The longer you are here, the more you will want A/C, and you can buy cheap window units at Walmart, as you will become acclimated to this climate). It's also drier here. With the lack of humidity, it doesn't get as hot.

[mmasmommy]

Very rarely will a rental come with A/C. Your first year or two here, you may only need it for a few weeks (as you are acclimated to warmer climates and it will feel cool here. The longer you are here, the more you will want A/C, and you can buy cheap window units at Walmart, as you will become acclimated to this climate). It's also drier here. With the lack of humidity, it doesn't get as hot.

 

Really? I think it gets quite humid here, just ask my hair. :lol: Not sure where the OP is from now but there's no way I'd survive without A/C.

[mommaduck]

Really? I think it gets quite humid here, just ask my hair. :lol: Not sure where the OP is from now but there's no way I'd survive without A/C.

 

For me, compared to Charleston, Guam, St Louis, Seattle...no, it's NOT humid here LOL! I believe the OP is moving from the SE US.

[mmasmommy]

For me, compared to Charleston, Guam, St Louis, Seattle...no, it's NOT humid here LOL! I believe the OP is moving from the SE US.

 

Ahhhhh okay. I've only ever lived in MD and now PA. I can't imagine how much my hair would revolt if I lived in the south! :D

[happypamama]

When looking at some of the housing, it appears that air conditioning may not be needed?? Several places either stated no a/c or they had a window unit?? That would not fly here at all. I dont think it is the price range, it seemed to be based more on the age of the house. Are the summers that mild?

 

I'm down in southern PA, near the MD border, but our house (which is a couple hundred years old) has no central a/c. I first thought I'd hate it, but we have four window units, and actually, they've been great. Summers can hit 90+ degrees and can be humid (though maybe not compared to the deep south), but even with a big (and probably drafty) house, we rarely need all four units blasting. We probably get a bit of shielding from the heat from the trees around the exterior, though. Yeah, places like the hallways and bathrooms are fairly warm, but we make do. It's a lot better than I ever thought it would be.

 

I don't think it's horrible homeschooling here, though it could be better, but it seems to depend on your local district; some are friendlier to the homeschoolers than others.

[mmasmommy]

I'm down in southern PA, near the MD border, but our house (which is a couple hundred years old) has no central a/c. I first thought I'd hate it, but we have four window units, and actually, they've been great. Summers can hit 90+ degrees and can be humid (though maybe not compared to the deep south), but even with a big (and probably drafty) house, we rarely need all four units blasting. We probably get a bit of shielding from the heat from the trees around the exterior, though. Yeah, places like the hallways and bathrooms are fairly warm, but we make do. It's a lot better than I ever thought it would be.

 

I don't think it's horrible homeschooling here, though it could be better, but it seems to depend on your local district; some are friendlier to the homeschoolers than others.

 

We are in Southern PA near the MD border too. Maybe we're neighbors and we don't know it! :D

[herbalgirl]

Ahhhhh okay. I've only ever lived in MD and now PA. I can't imagine how much my hair would revolt if I lived in the south! :D

 

 

I am originally from PA and, trust me, my hair has been revolting against me these past 3 years I've been in the South BIG time!! :lol:

 

Not much to add to the OP's questions, as we moved before I had to report anything to the state. From what I've read, however, once you get past all the paperwork hurdles it isn't as bad as some make it out to be to hs in PA.

[creekland]

I'm down in southern PA, near the MD border, but our house (which is a couple hundred years old) has no central a/c. I first thought I'd hate it, but we have four window units, and actually, they've been great. Summers can hit 90+ degrees and can be humid (though maybe not compared to the deep south), but even with a big (and probably drafty) house, we rarely need all four units blasting. We probably get a bit of shielding from the heat from the trees around the exterior, though. Yeah, places like the hallways and bathrooms are fairly warm, but we make do. It's a lot better than I ever thought it would be.

 

I don't think it's horrible homeschooling here, though it could be better, but it seems to depend on your local district; some are friendlier to the homeschoolers than others.

 

I could have written this post except our old farmhouse only has 1 window AC unit. It's only on if the inside temp gets to be above 80 degrees. This can happen when it's 90+ outside for more than a couple of days. Otherwise, opening the windows at night cools our house just nicely and the trees help hold it during the day. I prefer the fresh air from outside to the ac air anyway.

 

And we've never had any problems at all homeschooling in PA. On the contrary, having to keep portfolios has made our college apps easy!

[NanceXToo]

I live in Schuylkill County as well. This is our first year homeschooling and our daughter is only 7 so we haven't had to report anything to the state yet. There is a larger network of homeschoolers here than I ever realized. In a city (Pottsville) there doesn't seem to be as many but the smaller towns (Bethel) have a lot of Amish/Mennonite homeschoolers. As a result the Bethel library has a good hs selection even though it is tiny whereas the Pottsville library is much much larger with almost no hs info. Like the others said, pm me if you want more specific info on where we live. I know a couple realtors, too, if you need a recommendation. Good luck!

 

Do you live in Pottsville?? That's near where I live (and that's my school district) :D

[lmkzbcb]

Thanks a bunch, all!!

 

Maybe I can get by w/o a/c the first year. When someone said high 80's, I was thinking....not bad, especially if it is low humidity.

 

"I can't imagine how much my hair would revolt if I lived in the south!"

Is that what has been wrong with my hair all these years!!?? :)

 

This probably means having to purchase more wintery clothes for everyone too. Much more severe winters? I usually buy at second hand shops or at thrift stores like the Salvation Army. Any good stores like that in Schuylkill County? If not, is there a bigger city that would have some nice or good places to shop like that?

 

And what about piano, violin, and horseback riding lessons. Is it fairly easy to find someone who teaches these activities?

[lmkzbcb]

Thought of another question:

 

What about extracurricular activites at the public schools? Some states allow homeschoolers to participate in those, does PA?

[NanceXToo]

Thought of another question:

 

What about extracurricular activites at the public schools? Some states allow homeschoolers to participate in those, does PA?

 

This may answer that for you:

 

http://home.comcast.net/~askpauline/hsex/hsexc.html

 

(I've never tried myself. We find plenty for our kids to be involved in without being involved with the public school districts).

[happypamama]

Maybe I can get by w/o a/c the first year. When someone said high 80's, I was thinking....not bad, especially if it is low humidity.

 

I'd be prepared to buy at least one window unit. We'll have several days in July/August of 90+.

 

This probably means having to purchase more wintery clothes for everyone too. Much more severe winters?

 

Can't comment on where to get the stuff in Schuyllkill County, but the winters here vary. They won't top New England, but January and February are cold and generally icy/snowy. Even December and March can be too. We stock a good pair of winter boots, a good outdoor coat (and snowpants, or snowsuit for little ones; I like the coats that have the double layers that zip together -- they use the whole thing for playing outside, but lighter layers for quick trips to and from the car), and multiple pairs of layerable socks, mittens (at least one waterproof pair), hats, scarves, etc. for everyone. It will probably also depend on your specific location -- we live on a ridge and get a lot of very cold wind. It's very biting and unpleasant in the coldest months, so my kids don't spend a ton of time outside then. A more protected residence would be more pleasant. We get all the seasons here!

 

One thing to check on is the heating in whatever place you pick. Oil is obviously unpredictable and can get expensive, but PA just deregulated electricity a few months ago, and our rates are rising. So looking at a bill for previous years is probably not going to be accurate. Otoh, we now have options for our suppliers, and they're offering competitive deals. If you can, ask for the kwh used, rather than the price paid, and the price-to-compare; that will help you find the best supplier. (And in our experience, we have electric baseboards in part of our house [wood for the rest], and those are way more expensive than the window a/c units.)

[lovetobehome]

I agree with the PP about heat. We bought a large house in PA when we moved from the south. We couldn't afford to heat it with oil! We sold it, bought a much smaller place with gas heat instead. MUCH more affordable. Electric baseboard is really expensive. Look for a well-insulated house. If you go for a bigger house, you might want to make sure you can close off areas that you may not want to heat. AC is not so big a deal as heat! We have had AC in both houses, never used it in the first. In this house, we use it for a few hours in the afternoon maybe a week out of the year, to take the edge off. We use box fans in the windows at night to bring in cool air.

[jlmom]

I sent you a pm but thought I'd write here too. Winters can get cold. We usually have at least 1 or 2 good snowfalls, but some winters we don't get anything major. Last year we got a good 2 feet or so in one storm and this year our biggest at one time was around 8 inches. I agree with the others about the heat. Oil can get very expensive and if you're renting then you're probably responsible for oil. We have an oil heater but we also have a coal burner that we use more. We were able to get 2 tons of coal for around $400 and that lasted us most of the winter. Summers can get hot. Usually we have a few weeks of high 80's-90's. We only have a window unit and we're fine with it. We probably only use it maybe a dozen times over the summer. The rest is bearable.

 

Like I said in your pm, schools are required to allow homeschoolers to participate in every extracurricular they offer. I know of homeschoolers who go to the school for science labs, too. Sports, clubs, school plays, etc. all have to be open to homeschoolers. As for piano/violin/horseback riding, etc. I know there's a music school in Pottsville and there are local people who teach things out of their homes. I don't think it's too difficult to find somewhere to go. Good luck!

[creekland]

 

Like I said in your pm, schools are required to allow homeschoolers to participate in every extracurricular they offer. I know of homeschoolers who go to the school for science labs, too. Sports, clubs, school plays, etc. all have to be open to homeschoolers. As for piano/violin/horseback riding, etc. I know there's a music school in Pottsville and there are local people who teach things out of their homes. I don't think it's too difficult to find somewhere to go. Good luck!

 

This depends on the local district. Ours interprets the state law to mean homeschoolers can participate in any AFTER SCHOOL extra curricular. Therefore, they can be on sports teams (mine are on Chess) or be in the marching band, school plays, etc. However, since our concert band, orchestra and many clubs meet during the school day, they can't participate in those. They also can't go to the school to attend "one or two" classes. They are allowed to use the school library and guidance office at any time as long as they check in at the office when they arrive and leave (just as any visitor would have to). They can participate in tutoring and could use labs as long as a teacher would agree to work with them after school hours.

[lmkzbcb]

I keep thinking of questions. I hope yall don't mind. I do appreciate it greatly.

 

Talked to 2 real estate agencies this week, that was interesting. Let's just say finding a rental is going to be a big challenge.

 

About the heating. What does it mean when a house says oil and hot air for heat? What does it mean by hot air??

 

Also, I don't understand why natural gas isn't a bigger energy supplier in the area? I am sure PA is sitting on a huge amount of it, and I would think somewhat easily accessible?

Edited May 6, 2011 by lmkzbcb

[mommaduck]

I keep thinking of questions. I hope yall don't mind. I do appreciate it greatly.

 

Talked to 2 real estate agencies this week, that was interesting. Let's just say finding a rental is going to be a big challenge.

 

About the heating. What does it mean when a house says oil and hot air for heat? What does it mean by hot air??

 

Also, I don't understand why natural gas isn't a bigger energy supplier in the area? I am sure PA is sitting on a huge amount of it, and I would think somewhat easily accessible?

 

There are political and corporate fights over drilling for natural gas right now.

[jlmom]

This depends on the local district. Ours interprets the state law to mean homeschoolers can participate in any AFTER SCHOOL extra curricular. Therefore, they can be on sports teams (mine are on Chess) or be in the marching band, school plays, etc. However, since our concert band, orchestra and many clubs meet during the school day, they can't participate in those. They also can't go to the school to attend "one or two" classes. They are allowed to use the school library and guidance office at any time as long as they check in at the office when they arrive and leave (just as any visitor would have to). They can participate in tutoring and could use labs as long as a teacher would agree to work with them after school hours.

 

Wow-I didn't know that. It was my understanding that the law was changed a few years ago (maybe more than a few) and they had to provide everything for homeschoolers. Maybe if you pushed them they'd allow it--I don't know. I know there have been some pretty active advocates for homeschooling in our district that have sort of paved the way in the past few years.

 

My knowledge on heating systems is pretty limited but I think the oil/hot air thing means that it runs on oil and is forced up to the rest of the house by a hot air system. This is what we have--an oil burner in the basement and radiators along the walls throughout the house to actually heat the upstairs. I'm not sure though--we use the oil very little and our coal burner has a fan that kicks on and blows the heat up through floor vents. Drilling for natural gas is highly debated right now. I asked dh why we couldn't have a gas stove and he said that because of all the coal mines they couldn't run gas lines. I think he was just telling me anything, though, so that he wouldn't have to buy me a new stove :tongue_smilie:The neighbors who do have gas appliances have propane to run them, but then you have to get propane delivered and it always seems like there's a smell with propane.

[happypamama]

I keep thinking of questions. I hope yall don't mind. I do appreciate it greatly.

 

Questions are no problem!

 

About the heating. What does it mean when a house says oil and hot air for heat? What does it mean by hot air??

That probably means that the oil is burned, which heats air, which is then pushed through the ducts and into the various rooms -- as opposed to having radiators or baseboards that heat water or oil, and then the heat just sort of radiates out, rather than actually being pushed out. If I stand next to our electric baseboards, they will be hot, and the room will be warm, but I won't feel anything blowing. If I stand next to the vents in the rooms that are heated by forced air in our house, I will feel warm air blowing on my hand, like how a fan feels.

 

In old houses in PA, hot air could also mean that there's not a direct heating system in some rooms, but that they're heated on the principle that if you heat the air in the lower rooms somehow, the warm air will rise to the upper rooms, and there may be holes cut in the ceiling/floor between the two levels. It's not particularly efficient, so you absolutely should inspect all levels of a home before deciding. :) (This is what our house had when we bought it. We put in a wood-burning furnace that heats water that then heats the forced air, to replace the oil-burning furnace, and then we put electric baseboards in the necessary rooms upstairs.)

 

Keep asking if you come upon more questions!

 

Also, I don't understand why natural gas isn't a bigger energy supplier in the area? I am sure PA is sitting on a huge amount of it, and I would think somewhat easily accessible?

 

They're working on it. :)

 

Also, even though the LAW allows you to use the public school facilities, the local district doesn't necessarily have to make that easy for you. It just depends.

[mommaduck]

LMK, can you tell us exactly what you are looking for (when you speak to the real estate agents)? I know that when you live in one area, your expectations can be totally different than what is normal or should expect in the area you are looking to move to. This could be the difficulty?

[lmkzbcb]

Sure MommaDuck -

Basically we want a "single" that has a decent size yard. And has atleast 1 and 1/2 baths, 2 preferably. Also, would be nice if it were within 20 min. of dh's work.

 

The realtor at Prudential and Re/Max (we were told they were the 2 largest in the area), both told us that would be hard to come by. The price is not the problem, they both only had 1 listing each that matched that description. They had several "attached" row type houses, with little to no yard.

 

Also, Re/Max suggested checking the classifieds in the newspaper's website, I did. That was a dead end too. He did mention that most people just put a sign in their window and at locations around town. They don't really use property management companies. He was kind enough to say he would keep an eye out when he was out and about.

 

Is this your experience? Of course, I know you are in a diff. area.

[lmkzbcb]

Another heat question...

 

Down here, heat pumps do not really heat the house well on severely cold days, we end up using the fireplace too. What about there?

Edited May 6, 2011 by lmkzbcb

[lmkzbcb]

BTW, I checked craigslist and the county's area board of realtors too. ABOR had a search engine for everything in the mls system for the county. Same thing as the other 2 realtors had told us.

 

Here is what I am thinking:

1- find a house that has been on the mls for a long time, and ask if they would be interested in renting to us.

2- go there and drive around, looking for signs in the yard. Although, that seems pretty far just to drive around and not be sure of finding anything

3- find a place in a bigger city, dh would have a commute, which means more gasoline, but........

 

Any other suggestions?

[Carrie12345]

Sure MommaDuck -

Basically we want a "single" that has a decent size yard. And has atleast 1 and 1/2 baths, 2 preferably. Also, would be nice if it were within 20 min. of dh's work.

 

The realtor at Prudential and Re/Max (we were told they were the 2 largest in the area), both told us that would be hard to come by. The price is not the problem, they both only had 1 listing each that matched that description. They had several "attached" row type houses, with little to no yard.

 

Also, Re/Max suggested checking the classifieds in the newspaper's website, I did. That was a dead end too. He did mention that most people just put a sign in their window and at locations around town. They don't really use property management companies. He was kind enough to say he would keep an eye out when he was out and about.

 

Is this your experience? Of course, I know you are in a diff. area.

 

I know you're looking for a short commute, but I do want to point out that there's a HUGE difference in housing if you expand your search a bit. If you go on Zillow, you can see what's available in the surrounding areas.

[lmkzbcb]

I know you're looking for a short commute, but I do want to point out that there's a HUGE difference in housing if you expand your search a bit. If you go on Zillow, you can see what's available in the surrounding areas.

 

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I went to Zillow and Trulia too. I expanded it to places that were within 30 min. drive. I guess we could try 45-60 min. drive. :confused:

[mommaduck]

Yeah, if you are looking "in town" or in a fair sized small city, you will not find what you have requested (and single with decent sized yard is what I thought you might be asking for). Here, you don't have a lot of yard unless you have money, buy your own house, buy in a small town, or rent an old house from some anabaptist (what we did with our last two houses). But the crux of the last option is that some of the landlords take care of their property and some are just looking for renters until the property falls in on itself. The best bet is to drive around and call...but again, if you are looking for a 20min radius, you are probably going to end up in a semi-detatched (duplex like rowhouse) or a rowhouse. Yard will be small, but then there are parks to go to (yes, I know...I miss having a yard also and I feel a little bit claustrophobic because of it...I'm used to sending my kids outside to play and not worrying about them. The past two years, I have not been able to do that since we moved into the city. The trade off is that there is more here for the bigger kids though in tennis lessons, etc)

[lmkzbcb]

It is a town of 5K people...... and there is plenty for sale within that distance that fits the bill, some that have been on there a long time. I have wondered if it is such an economically depressed area, that no one thinks anyone would be interested in renting a larger house??

 

I know it is different in different regions of the US, but in my mind a small town of that size yet within an hour of 3 large cities, aught to have rentals of all shapes and sizes. I never would have thought it was going to be like this.

 

I did talk to dh about buying and then renting it out when we left. He said no way. I guess he and everyone else leaving there thinks the same way. :D

Edited May 6, 2011 by lmkzbcb

[mommaduck]

Honey, there are people that live clear out here in Lancaster and take the train into Philly and Baltimore. In fact, there are people in York (!) that drive to Baltimore!

[lmkzbcb]

Honey, there are people that live clear out here in Lancaster and take the train into Philly and Baltimore. In fact, there are people in York (!) that drive to Baltimore!

 

I am confused. (not uncommon :) )

 

Are you saying that people want to rent way out of the big towns so that is why there isn't anything because they are all taken?

 

Or are you saying, commuting is a way of life there, and if we have to drive an hour count ourselves lucky? Others have it worse?

 

Is 5k people a decent size town in PA? I think I am going through culture shock!!

Edited May 6, 2011 by lmkzbcb

[mommaduck]

I'm saying that people that want to live a certain lifestyle or have a certain type of home or area are willing to drive further; that is the trade off.

 

I know Lancaster County was one of the last places economically hit (we felt it years before in IL, moved to PA and it was a few years later that it started hitting here...but food has always been cheaper here than in IL). I think people are selling their homes because either they are upside down on their mortgage, want something else, etc and they don't want to be landlords. A lot of people do not want to be landlords. They just want to sell the house and get a down payment for another home.

 

Also, bigger homes are harder to heat. I've known people that spend more on heating than on their house payment. That's why people are willing to live in a rowhouse or smaller house. I know the farmhouse we rented cost us an arm and a leg and we were only able to heat two rooms out of a seven bedroom house! (kitchen and living room...somewhat the bedroom above the kitchen because of the stairs). And we could only plug in two heaters in the house, because that is all the electrical box could handle without fusing out.

 

Yes, anywhere you move to, your expectations will have to adjust. I've been through culture shock before. I do have to say that this was one of the easier moves for me...but then, I got to start out in the county (farmland) when we first moved to PA and then moved into the city.

[creekland]

I am confused. (not uncommon :) )

 

Are you saying that people want to rent way out of the big towns so that is why there isn't anything because they are all taken?

 

Or are you saying, commuting is a way of life there, and if we have to drive an hour count ourselves lucky? Others have it worse?

 

Is 5k people a decent size town in PA? I think I am going through culture shock!!

 

Everyone who can't afford to buy is renting and what you are looking for is extremely popular for renters, but extremely less profitable for owners - thus, not much supply compared to demand. Hubby and I have two single houses we rent (not in your area). One has 1 bathroom, the other has 1.5. Both have three bedrooms. With the economic downturn, neither sold when we had them listed, but as soon as we put them for rent they rented within days with backup possibilities. Every time we change tenants (which isn't often) they always remark to us that they are so glad they found our place as there just isn't anything else like it on the market.

 

Thus is the problem.

 

AND, yes, people dislike the big cities (and usually their schools) so much that they will commute long distances to live out here where things are more pastoral. What they get here is unaffordable closer to the cities. However, the numbers who commute long distances aren't super high. I'd guess about 5% - 10% of the students at school have at least one parent who does it though. The rest are local.

 

Are you thinking about buying in the future? If so, perhaps checking with places that have been on the market and seeing if they will rent to own might be an option. Our current tenants know our place can be for sale if they ever end up being able to qualify at the market rate at the time. They have both expressed interest in doing so. One set is not likely to be able to afford it and we plan to not renew their lease when it's up this summer as they've been chronically late with rent. We can easily get someone better in. The other couple ought to be able to qualify - they will just have to decide if they like where they are or want to upgrade (they have good jobs - just rented because they were new to our area).

[lmkzbcb]

Yeah, maybe lease with option to buy would be good. I bet someone would think about letting us do that.

 

I don't know, but based on what yall are telling me, if I owned a house in PA, I wouldn't even dream of selling it. I would be renting that sucker out, letting someone else pay down the mortgage, and have a nice retirement nest egg building up.

 

I am still in shock. How am I going to do this, with as many kids as I have?? I am so used to them going out to play and not thinking twice about it.

Edited May 6, 2011 by lmkzbcb

[mommaduck]

Yeah, maybe lease with option to buy would be good. I bet someone would think about letting us do that.

 

I don't know, but based on what yall are telling me, if I owned a house in PA, I wouldn't even dream of selling it. I would be renting that sucker out, letting someone else pay down the mortgage, and have a nice retirement nest egg building up.

 

I am still in shock. How am I going to do this, with as many kids as I have?? I am so used to them going out to play and not thinking twice about it.

 

Ditto here, but I think this is where we have to learn to adjust. I have eight children, hon. Not sure how many you have. We have a five bedroom detached with a kitchen I despise (the landlady had them put in linoleum, but they never sealed down the edges...so the edges are all rolled up around that room and it makes it a pain to clean...I'm looking for another place).

[Carrie12345]

We pay for our lifestyle in commuting hours. We're 2 counties over from where you're looking, and dh works all over NJ and NYC. Most of our neighbors work in NJ, NYC, and Philly. Good paying jobs in closer proximity are just really hard to come by 'round here. The smaller cities are crumbling.

[lmkzbcb]

The smaller cities are crumbling.

 

Why? Has anyone given a reason for this, or a guess?

 

 

Just thought of another heating source. Kerosene. We have kerosene heaters for when the power goes out. Does anyone here either use them or seen it for sale? How does it compare to oil?

 

Can oil systems be converted to coal or something else less expensive?

[Carrie12345]

Why? Has anyone given a reason for this, or a guess?

 

 

 

My best under-educated guess would be a combination of jobs moving to the bigger cities (or overseas), industries shutting down completely, and the growth of affordable living in the rural (well, now semi-rural to suburban) areas.

[Hyzenthlay in Pa.]

Sounds like there will be plenty to keep my kids busy. However, a couple "to do" items mentioned would be new to us. Are there "how to" workshops or guides for ice fishing and ice climbing?

 

 

 

 

Ice climbing, the Poconos is filled with waterfalls and they freeze just north you. My oldest son was the one doing this & he's no longer in the area. He had done this & rock climbing in N.M. & Colorado and if I remember used his rock climbing ropes & crampions (sp?). He found places & groups online.

 

Ice fishing, Dh has been talking of this the past 2 years, guys at work are into it. We have not gone yet. State parks post info on the ice thickness/safety. There are many places to buy any needed fishing gear. Cabelas is as popular as Walmart for shopping .:001_smile: If your family likes the out of doors , you'll like Pennsyltucky!:lol:

 

The state parks and environmental centers have classes and outings all the time. I don't know about Schuykill county , but many counties have environmental centers that offer tours, walks, hikes, classes etc.

There are also historical places that have tour programs that use school children in their living history museums.

[NanceXToo]

The state parks and environmental centers have classes and outings all the time. I don't know about Schuykill county , but many counties have environmental centers that offer tours, walks, hikes, classes etc.

There are also historical places that have tour programs that use school children in their living history museums.

 

Yeah for stuff like state park and environmental center programs around here, look up Sweet Arrow Lake Park and Hawk Mountain.

 

And Hyzenthlay, speaking of ice and the Poconos, we used to live in the Poconos and I'll never forget the time I took my oldest daughter and a friend "snow tubing" for one of her January birthday celebrations. Snow tubing my butt. It was a hill of sheer ice that we went spinning down sideways and backwards and out of control. It scared the living daylights out of me. Never again. LOL.

[lmkzbcb]

"Pennsyltucky"

 

LMAO!!

 

Sounds like great fun!